Improved machine for making cut nails



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D. J. FARMER, OF IVHEELING, W EST VIRGINIA.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 94,!94, dated AugustA3l, 1869.

' yZ'o all whom, it may concern.-

My improvements consist in so constructing, combining, and arranging theoperative parts of a machine for making cut nails and tacks as to adaptit to take the plates or sheets of metal as they come from the rollswithout previous slitting or shearing, and to cut such plates or sheetsinto nails or tacks having a straight grain without waste, and to cutand head any number of nails or tacks completely at the same operation.

The plate or sheet of metal of any iength is fed longitudinally' intothe machine, and in a continuous manner, and is cut up from the side ofthe plate or sheet by suitably-arranged knives or cutters. The blanks asthey fall from the knives are caught between grippingjaws which holdthem while the heading operation is being performed. A header ispreferably arranged between the pairs or between each pair of knives orcutters and clampingjaws, so as to upset the heads on two nails or tacksat each operation.

In the drawings, Figure l represents a plan view of my improved machine,certain portions being broken away to expose parts beneath. Fig. 2 is afront elevation thereof, partly in vertical section, on the line a',Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section on the line y y, Fig. 1. Fig. 4is a transverse section on the line z z, Figs. l and 2. Fig. 5 is adiagram illustrating the manner of cutting the nails or tacks from theplate or sheet of metal.

In the further description of my machine, in referring to the plate orsheet of metal from which the nails or tacks are formed, I shall speakof it simply as the sheet A A in the drawings represent a strong frame,which may be made of any suitable material, form, andV dimensions toafford the requisite bearings, &c., for the operativeparts of themachine.

B B B B are feed-rollers (which may be substituted by other suitabledevice) arranged in suit-able'bearings at the respective ends of themachine, and employed to propel the sheet longitudinally through themachine, a suitable intermittent motion being imparted to them by amechanism to be hereinafter described.

C C C C are friction-rollers arranged between the feed-rollers B B', tofacilitate and steady the movement of the sheet. The upper of these setsof rollers may be protected by a hood or cap, D D'.

E E are adjustable gages .or stops to determine the thickness of nail ortack produced by limiting the projection of the sheet under the knivesor cutters.

E E are additional guides or stops for the ends of the sheet.

F is a movable bar for holding the sheet against the stops E, a yieldingpressure being imparted to it by weights G. through hinged sliding rodsf and cords H, attached to the outer ends of said rods f and runningover suitablyarranged pulleys I', as represented in Figs. 2 and 4. Thisarrangement adapts the bar F to accommodate itself to any irregularities in the edge of thesheet. A Hange, f', ou the face ofthe bar Fserves to hold down the rear edge ofthe sheet. Its front edge isprevented from rising with the movable cutter by a longitudinal bar, J.

K K Kd" represent the stationary cutters or knives for makinglongitudinal incisions in the sheet, and lc the end cutters.

L L L* Ift are the corresponding movable cutters or knives. The formerare mounted in suitable sockets in the frame A. The latter are mountedin a swinging frame or jaw, M, pivoted at in in the frame A and providedwith rearwardlyprojecting arms M for engagement with suitable cams bywhich to impart to it the necessary movement.

The cutters L L L* Lili are mounted in suitable recesses in the face ofthe j aw M, as shown in Fig. 4, being arranged to correspond with thestationary cutters K K', ttc., and adjusted to compensate for wear byset-screws m. The weight of the face-plate of the jaw, the cutters, &o.,may, if desired, becompensated for by a weight, m2, on the extremity ofthe arm M', as shown in Fig. 4 or a similarappliance.

The cutters K L K L K* L Kt Lt are alranged in pairs, as indicated, andthe first ones of each pair (as shown) are oblique, the a1- ternate onesbeing straight. Each successive pair is beside projected a distanceequal to the width of two nails or tacks as cut from the sheet in frontof the one before them, as represented iu Figs. l, 2, and 4. The objectof this arrangement of the cutters is to enable A them to receive thesheet, as it is fed continuously and straightly through themachine, and

cut the nails or tacks therefrom, as hereinafter more particularlydescribed. A space, m3, of the length of one or more nails or tacks, asdesired, is left between each of the cutters, K L K' L', 85e., to affordthe necessary room for the side or end cutters, lr, the headers, Src.The length of said space, being the same as that of the cutters, or amultiple thereof, prevents its affecting the proper succession in theaction of the cutters on the sheet without complicating the feedingmechanism.

NN' represent, respectively, stationary and movable jaws situatedbeneath the cutters K k L, 85e., with which they correspond in number,and operating to grip the nails or tacks as they fall from said cuttersand hold them while the heading operation is being performed. The formerare arranged beneath said cutters K, Src., in the frame A, as shown inFigs. 2, 3, and4, and in dotted lines in Fig. l, and the latter areattached to a swinging frame or head, O, pivoted at o and provided withextensions or arms O' for engagement with suitable cams by which tooperate it. The faces of these jaws are conformed to the desiredcomplete form of the nails or tacks, each being arranged to correspondwith the cutters above it, and may swage the nails or tacks more orless, if desired.

P P P represent headers provided with double faces p, keyed onroek-shafts Q, mounted transversel-y of the machine, and arrangedybetween and at the ends of the pairs of cutters, Ste., as represented inFig. 3, so as to adapt them to act on the proper end of the nails ortacks, as held in the jaws N N', the middle one heading the nails ortacks from two sets of cutters. The rock-shafts Q are further providedwith arms Q' for engagement with suitable cams, by which to operatethem, and which will now be described.

R, Figs. l and 4, represents a cam-shaft mounted in suitable bearingslongitudinally of the machine, and preferably at its upper rear side, asrepresented in Fig. 4, and provided with cams R', having camsurfaces r,r', and r2 for the operation of the cutters L, Ste., through the jaw M mM', the grippingjaws N, through the head O o O', and the headers P,through the rock-shafts Q Q', the respective surfaces being soconstructed and arranged as to cause the various parts to operate in thedesired manner, as hereinafter more fully described. The shaft R isfurther provided with a crank-disk, R2, to the wrist of which isattached a connecting-rod, S, connecting it to the arm T' of arock-shaft, T, mounted transversely of the machine at its center, asrepresented in Figs. 2 and 3, and

carrying outside of the frame. of the machine an arm, T", hinged' at t,and provided with a handle, t. This arm, when in its straight condition,engages with, through the medium of a notched block, u, and reciprocatesa rod, V, extending longitudinally of the machine, and connected at itsrespective ends to the lowerv ends of levers V V', fulcrumed on theshafts ofthe lower ones of the feed-rollers B B', and carrying at theirupper ends pawls o o to engage with and drive ratchet-wheels Z Z', keyedon the shafts of said rollers. By means of these devices the requisiteintermitting feed motion is imparted to said rollers. The rod Uisslotted where the block u for the engagement of the arm T2 is attachedthereto, so as to enable, by the adjustment of said block, the relativespeed at which the rollers B and B' are driven to be adjusted toregulate the feed. The hinged arm T2 adapts the feed mechanism to bereadily thrown out of gear to allow it to be independently operated, asin adjusting the sheet for the first time, or to dispense with italtogether when, on account of a short sheet being used or for otherreason, it is not required.

The sheet (taken as it comes from the rolls) being properly adjustedbetween the rollers B and C, the feed mechanism in gear, and motionimparted to the shaft R in the direction indicated by the blue arrows inFigs. l and 4, motion will first be imparted through the describedconnections to the rollers B B B' B and the sheet, by means of the firstpair of them, propelled forward until its first length, I, Fig. 5, isunder the cutter L, when the motion of said rollers will cease, and thecam-surfaces 1', coming in contact with the arms M' of the jaw M, willoscillate said jaw, depressing the cutters L, &c., and severing, bymeans of L, in connect-ion with the stationary cutters K k, a blank byan oblique cut, as seen at l 1, Fig. 5.A The cam-surfaces lr thenreleasing the arms M', the cutters will rise, and the severed blank willfall between the jaws N N', the latter of which will be imnhediatelyprojected to grip said blank bythe ,cam-surfaces r' coming in contactwith the arms O of the heads O, in which said jaws are secured, andprojecting it a sufficient distance to firmly grasp the blank, beingretained in that condition during nearly onehalf of the revolution ofthe shaft R, during which timeand immediately succeeding the securementof the blank between the jaws the camsurfaces r2, coming in contact withthe arms Q' of the rock-shafts Q, impart a rapid stroke in bothdirections to the headers P by means of the first of 1said headersupsetting' a head on said nail or.tack,which, being then finished, isdischarged by the cam-surfaces r' passing from in contact with the armsO of the head O, and thus allowing it to fall back. A revolution of theshaft and the complete formation of a nail or tack is thus completed.Meanwhile, another impulse having been imparted to the feed-rollers, thesheet has been movedv forward, and its second length, I I, brought underthe cutter L, I being then between L and L. Another blank will then besevered, as represented at II 2, Fig. 2, and headed and discharged inmanner before described, when another impulse to the feed` rollers willbring the third length, III, under L II passing to between L and Land I,under L. The depression of M this time severs two blanks, one by L byan'oblique cut, III 3, Fig. 5, and one by L' by a straight cut, I 3,Fig. 5. The next impulse brings IV under L, III between L and L', IIunder L', and I between L and Li, two blanks being again severed, II 4and IV 4, Fig. 5. The nextimpulse brings V under L, IV between L and L',III under L, II between L' and Lii, and I under Lit, which, beingprojected in front of L and L', cuts its blank from beyond the out of Land L', as represented at l5, Fig. 5, L and L' also severing blanks fromV and III, respectively, as indicated by V5 and III 5, Fig. 6. Theoperation is thus continued until a strip of depth equal, in widths ofblanks severed, to the number of sets of cutters (in the presentinstance four) has been removed, when the sheet may again be introducedand another strip cut off, and so on until it is entirely used up. Afterthe first length has reached'the last set of cutters, a number of nailsor tacks equal to. the number of cutters will be produced at eachrevolution. This would be in the present inst-ance at the seventhimpulse of the feed, as will be seen by reference to the diagram Fig. 5,where the Roman numerals indicate the number of lengths and the Arabicnumerals the number of impulse at which severed, the marginal letters(in connection with the numbers above them which refer to those on thediagram) indicating the cutter by which severed.

Instead of the arrangement of knives or cutters and the mode of feedingthe sheet above described, I propose,when desired, substituting placingall the cutters obliquely and running the sheet of metal into themachine in an oblique direction, which has been found to produce thesame results.

long as the same results are produced, without departing from theprinciple of my invention.

I claim as new and of my invention-- 1. The improved machine hereindescribed,

constructed and arranged to operate substantially in the manner and forthe purposes set fort-h.

2. The knives or cutters KL K' L', Sto., arranged alternately obliqueand straight, and the successive pairs thereof brought farther front, asrepresented and described, for t-he purpose set forth.

3. The gripping jaws or dies NN', 85o., arranged and operating,substantially as described, in combination with the cutters K 7c L, &c.,and the headers I), for the purpose specified.

4. The headers P, constructed with the doublefaces pp, and so arrangedand operated as to form the heads on two nails or tacks at onerevolution ofthe machine, substantially as described.

5. The conibinatiomwith the feeding rollers B I', of the crank-wheel R2,connecting-rod S,

rock-shaft T T' T1', rod U a, lever V V', pawl c v', and ratchet-wheelbb', all arranged to 0perate substantially in the manner described, forthe purpose set forth.

6. In the described combination with the feeding devices, theoscillating arm T2, constructed with a hinge-joint, t, as described, forthe purpose set forth.

7. The combination, with the cutters K 7c L K k L', Src., and thelongitudinal feeding-rollers B B', of the gages or stops E andpresserbar F, arranged to operate substantially as described, for thepurpose specified.

DAVID J. FARMER.

IVitnesses:

J. P. FARMER, W. D. JonnsoN.

